"The Most Hated Family in America"

[Elmore Furth]

Sometimes I think that religious extremists have a corner on bad taste.

By Robert Barnes
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, September 30, 2010; 7:51 PM

TOPEKA, KAN. - A filmmaker several years ago tracked Shirley Phelps-Roper and her family members as they went about praising God for killing U.S. soldiers and picketing their funerals - their way of putting the nation on notice about the Almighty's wrath.

He called the documentary "The Most Hated Family in America," and Phelps-Roper had only one real regret.

"If he had just called it, 'The Most Hated Family in the World,'" she said. In the last hours of the last days, she explained, Jesus said his chosen will be "hated by all men."

The family's inflammatory picketing - "Thank God for dead soldiers" is a favorite sign - has prompted more than 40 state legislatures and Congress to pass laws. Next week, the Supreme Court takes up the battle over how the Phelpses spread their message: that the nation's tolerance of homosexuality has drawn God's condemnation.

Church's protests at military funerals a free-speech test for Supreme Court

[MrScorpio]

1. I honestly thought of the Bush's before I opened this thread

I still think that way.

[rpannier]

3. That was my first thought as well

The Phelps' are sickening

What I find amusing about Shirley Roper-Phelps' comment about being the most hated family in the world as a badge of honor is, she doesn't seem to have the capacity to recognize why people hate them. It's not for their faith as Jesus was implying. It's not even for their hate-filled messages.
It's for the way they go out and intentionally try and antagonize people.
Jesus didn't go looking for the worst places and people and then rail against them. He went about his business and if he came across things that he thought were wrong he addressed them.
Jesus did not attend the funerals of vile people with signs vilifying them.

I'm not saying that what the Phelps say has any merit. But looking at it through their eyes, "We're just like Jesus and are doing God's work." They missed the entire life of Jesus and what he represented because of their twisted hatefilled demagoguery.

[hendo]

8. Fundies often miss the message of the religion they claim to be a part of. NT

[MarthaM]

14. Me, too.

I thought it was the title of a new book about them.

[11 Bravo]

2. And coming in a close second? That's right, the Cheneys!

[pgodbold]

6. Yes! nt

[davidinalameda]

4. I was thinking Jon and Kate

:shrug:

[TheDebbieDee]

5. Leave Jon and Kate ALOOOOOOONE!

[davidinalameda]

16. no

:D

[jmm]

7. I knew this was going to be about them but

I did kind of doubt myself while opening the thread because they're not really well known enough to be the most hated family in America.

[hendo]

9. Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you.

For many will come in my name claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many." - Matthew 24:4-5 (NIV)

[Adsos Letter]

12. Matthew 7, and Matthew 25...

Matthew 7:21-23
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

OR

Matthew 25: 41-45:
41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

45 "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'


Funny how they don't seem to be aware of these verses.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

10. I thought this would be about the McMahon family (n/m)

[stanwyck]

11. I thought of the Cheneys. But even the Cheneys

aren't as horrid as the Phelps family. Insufferably arrogant and smug, yes, but not as truly evil as the Phelps.

[Terra Alta]

13. I hate the Bush family more than I hate the Phelps.

Bush created a mess we will spend a long time cleaning up... the Phelps, while vile, didn't send the country on a path to destruction.

[oswaldactedalone]

15. We've pretty much nailed America's three most hated...

families in these last posts. Between the Shrubs, the Chain-eys, and the Phelps, you have the dregs of American society.